A 19th Century KPM Porcelain Plaque of Mary Magdalene
About the Item
- Creator:KPM Porcelain (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 18 in (45.72 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:19th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Overall very good condition with minor signs of age, no breaks or repairs to porcelain.
- Seller Location:Lambertville, NJ
- Reference Number:
KPM Porcelain
The Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin, or KPM (Royal Porcelain Factory, Berlin, in English) was one of the most influential porcelain factories to emerge in 18th-century Germany, along with Nymphenburg and Meissen. KPM was the third incarnation of a company originally founded in 1751 by Wilhelm Caspar Wegely to take advantage of the burgeoning market for “white gold.” On the verge of bankruptcy, Wegely sold his inventory and tools to Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky, who in 1761 established another porcelain factory, which also failed, and was subsequently taken over by Frederick II of Prussia in 1763. Like Augustus II, Elector of Saxony, the patron of Meissen and a keen collector who described himself as suffering (quite happily) from “porcelain sickness,” Frederick II was proud to refer to himself as KPM’s “best customer.” KPM produces china and figurines to this day, and throughout its long history, it has been a style-setter for elegant tableware, particularly in the 1930’s, the period during which their popular patterns Urbino, Urania and Arkadia were designed.
Thanks to its royal patronage, KPM had the resources and contacts necessary to establish itself as a leading luxury producer, and supplied Russian and European elites with tableware in the Rococo and Neoclassical styles, as well as monumental vases, and decorative plaques. Many of these objects can be found today in major museums as a result of Frederick II’s penchant for sending KPM porcelain as diplomatic gifts throughout Europe. Unlike Meissen, which was known for crafting porcelain sculptures of dazzling complexity, KPM is revered for the precision and splendor of its surface decoration, and for its porcelain plaques depicting scenes from history and mythology. One especially lovely example circa 1790 is a neocalssical-style tea service decorated with gold accents and a grisaille design of figures from the ancient world. By contrast, this boldly colorful narrative cup and saucer set from the 1840’s depicts scenes from real life as colorfully as a painting. The set was commissioned by a gentleman for his wife as a tongue-in-cheek gift commemorating her misadventures while in town for a visit to the opera, which resulted in her opera glasses being stolen. The saucer shows the thief and the glasses, and the cup reveals the scene of the crime in vivid hues.
KPM was forced to move from its original location in 1867 due to the building of the new Prussian Parliament building, and this afforded the company the opportunity to to create a new factory with the newest equipment and materials of the day. With the growing popularity of Art Nouveau and the western fascination with Asian ceramics, KPM began formulating glazes that evoked the color palette and rich surfaces of Chinese porcelain. By the turn of the century, KPM was exhibiting its wares to a global audience at international expositions. At the end of World War I with the collapse of the Prussian monarchy, KPM was renamed the State Porcelain Manufactory Berlin, continuing to use the name KPM and its use of the cobalt blue sceptre mark that is painted on the bottom of every piece.
By the late 1920’s, the designers and craftsmen of KPM were inspired by the tenets of Modernism, particularly the styles of the Bauhaus and the Deutscher Werkbund. During this period, the firm’s aim was to produce useful household porcelain for a range of consumers, rather than catering to a small elite. Among the most successful patterns of this era was designer Trude Petri’s Urbino line, which is still produced today. Following World War II, KPM was temporarily housed in the town of Selb, and only returned to its rebuilt quarters in Berlin in 1957. In the 1980s, KPM became an private company independent of the state, and began to focus production on the preservation of historic forms, designs, and techniques. KPM continues to collaborate with designers from all over the world, most recently on the Berlin dinnerware service with designer Enzo Mari, and a collaboration with the luxury brands Bottega Veneta and Bugatti.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Lambertville, NJ
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- KPM Porcelain Hand Painted Oval Bowl, 19th CenturyBy KPM PorcelainLocated in Lambertville, NJAntique 19th century hand painted porcelain with floral and gilt decoration. The bowl with center floral decoration with detailed hand gilt all around. The 19th century KPM mark...Category
Antique 1880s German Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- 19th Century Painting on Porcelain in Gilt FrameLocated in Lambertville, NJA painting on porcelain of a nobleman and nude woman with cupids, elaborately painted and highly detailed. The original gilt wood frame with reti...Category
Antique 1880s Austrian Paintings
MaterialsPorcelain, Giltwood
- 19th Century French Hand Painted Framed Porcelain TileLocated in Lambertville, NJA gorgeous hand painted porcelain tile in original giltwood frame. The tile with hand painted blue birds and wildflowers in an elegant original giltwood...Category
Antique 1880s French Aesthetic Movement Paintings
MaterialsPorcelain, Giltwood
- 19th Century Watercolor Painting of a Scholar and His StudentsLocated in Lambertville, NJ19th Century Chinese watercolor in vivid colors of a teacher seated at a desk under a tree with students seated on cushions in an outd...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
MaterialsHardwood, Paper
- Original Late 19th Century Oil Painting on Canvas of RoostersLocated in Lambertville, NJA charming impressionistic oil painting on canvas artist signed in lower corner. The painting with two roosters with a hen in background, The gilt wood frame with linen liner. 10.75 inches tall by 11.25 inches wide, unframes Unframed, 8.5 inches by 8 inches. Sold from a Montclair New Jersey Art...Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Giltwood
- Original 19th Century Bucolic Landscape Signed A. H. WyantBy Alexander Helwig WyantLocated in Lambertville, NJAn oil on canvas in antique gilt wood frame by Alexander Helwig Wyant. This painting has been re-stretched with a laminated back for stability. Signed on the lower right. Alexande...Category
Antique 1870s American Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Giltwood
- KPM Porcelain Plaque Mary Magdalene Reading after Corregio, 19th CenturyLocated in Gardena, CAKPM Porcelain Plaque Mary Magdalene Reading after Corregio, 19th century KPM porcelain plaque of Mary Magdalene Reading after Antonio Corregio, 19th century. The plaque depicts Ma...Category
Antique 19th Century Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Porcelain Plaque of a 19th Century German Market by KPMBy KPM PorcelainLocated in London, GBThe 1844 summer market in the town of Lengerich, in the western German province of Westphalia, is the subject of this antique KPM porcelain plaque...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century German Paintings
MaterialsPorcelain, Giltwood
- 19th Century KPM Porcelain Plaque of the Queen of PrussiaBy KPM PorcelainLocated in London, GBThis beautiful antique porcelain plaque exhibits the fine quality of craftsmanship and artistry that the prestigious Berlin porcelain manufactory, KPM, is renowned for. The plaque is delicately painted with the full-length portrait of Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776-1810), Queen of Prussia and wife of King William III (1770-1840). Louise was a popular Queen and was respected for her successful negotiations with Napoleon, before he became Emperor of France. In this plaque, she is depicted descending the steps of the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, which was the seat of the Prussian monarchy. She wears a simple robe a l'anglaise, which was fashionable at the time, and looks directly at the viewer in a symbol of power and majesty. The plaque is signed to the lower right by the artist 'Emile Eckhart', who worked for KPM. It is painted after a famous work by celebrated German artist Gustav Karl Ludwig Richter...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Decorative Art
MaterialsPorcelain
- 19th Century KPM Berlin Painted Porcelain Plaque, Die LautenspielerinBy KPM PorcelainLocated in Forney, TXA late 19th century Berlin KPM painted porcelain plaque, Die Lautenspielerin, in pierced foliate giltwood frame, painting after Friedrich August von Kaulbach (German, 1850-1920). Mod...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Paintings
MaterialsPorcelain, Giltwood, Paint
- Large 19th Century Berlin Rectangular KPM Porcelain Painted Framed PlaqueBy KPM PorcelainLocated in Los Angeles, CAA large 19th century Berlin Rectangular K.P.M porcelain painted framed plaque Germany, circa 1880 Very well painted depicting a women draped in linens with two angels above h...Category
Antique 1880s German Napoleon III Paintings
MaterialsPorcelain
- Berlin KPM Porcelain Plaque Last Quarter of the 19th Century after RaphaelBy KPM PorcelainLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA Berlin KPM Porcelain Plaque Last quarter of the 19th century After Raphael, depicting Madonna and child with a river and city in the distance, signed A. Deckelmann, impressed ...Category
Antique 19th Century Paintings
MaterialsPorcelain
